struggling

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Permalink Reply by Stacey Hughes on March 18, 2011 at 3:29am

Thanks Megan - so I can have as many extra fruits/veggies outside of the thrive menu?????  hmmm that is a lot better!

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Permalink Reply by Ian Logsdon on May 2, 2011 at 5:32pm

Hi Stacey,

 

Have you tried the burgers? They really are the best part if you ask me, wrap them in a piece of butter lettuce with the raw ketchup, it goes well, and they're easy to make in bulk. Also try looking up raw recipes from elsewhere on the internet and sub them in. The nut milks and the cereals are easy and pretty tasty as well. The recommended diet is too complicated, I recommend simplify, stick to things you can make a lot of. Add in some variety, like find a raw "egg salad" recipe or raw tacos, make some kale chips (I made salt and vinegar tonight and they were excellent), and just steam up some veggies and beans and eat them over quinoa or wild rice. Brendan's recipes are what he likes, but the principles of the diet are easy enough to meld to your own needs, just remember to get a good mixture of fats protein and carbs and you'll feel great. And seriously, keep a bunch of clementines or other fruit around that you can munch on, they really help to make you feel less constrained.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Mason on May 2, 2011 at 8:54pm

Hi Stacey!

 

I'm new to Thrive, too (this is my second week), and here is how I've been making it work.

 

Planning ahead is key. This past weekend, and I set aside a few hours to plan out what recipes I'd like to make during the coming week. Then, I compile my ingredients, and look through the recipes to see what needs to be ground, shredded, chopped, sprouted, etc. , and take care of all that. Next, I look for recipes that are components of other recipes, and I make those first. Then, I make bulk items (burger mixes, pizza crust mixes, cracker "doughs," dressings, sauces, whatever) and energy bars, puddings and so on. Finally, I store it all in the refrigerator, and during the week, when I want to make a recipe, it only takes me about 10 minutes (so far!).

 

This weekend was my first time with this approach, and it only took me about 4 hours to prep everything I wanted. Here is what I got done:

 

Vegetable Cracker "dough"

Green Tea Ginger Lime Cracker "dough"

Sunflower Seed Pate

Crunchy Cinnamon Plaintain Chips

Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto

Ginger Pear Energy Bars

Wild Rice Yam Pancake batter

Energy Pudding

Carob Mint Sport Drink (x2)

Macadamia Dill Dressing

Cayenne Dill Tahini Dressing

Miso Kelp Quacamole

Ground up 2 lbs. of flax seeds for later use

1 lb. Sesame Seed & Nutritional Yeast Topping

Enough quinoa, black eyed peas and red lentils to make pizza crusts.

 

Of course, having more than one blender, grinder and food processor would have sped up the process, as would having a helping hand in the kitchen. But still, not bad for four hours work.

 

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Cathy Sykora on May 5, 2011 at 7:27pm

This can be a big change.  You have a lot to get used to.  I found it was easier for me to get a few favorite meals and I tried to do a different meal every day...and it is hard to do that and work and do the day to day things that we want and need to do.  I don't want to live my life in the kitchen...I am trying 1 new recipe a week...if I like it, I incorporate it and if I don't...then I just have more liquid meals.  I have tried a lot of the bars and they are nice.  I can also find time on the weekend and make several bars and then when I am hungry I can grab one of those.  I am gradually getting a nice list of recipes...in the meantime, I am still eating vegan, raw and healthier than I ever have in my life.

 

One other thing...I soak and dehydrate nuts on the weekend and can munch on those and a piece of fruit or juice that I make from whatever fruit and veggies I have in my refrigerator. 

 

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by amber e marchut on May 11, 2011 at 6:53am

Hi everyone,

 

I'm also struggling just like Stacey. I have been a vegan for 2 years but am struggling with Vega products and the Thrive diet. I am hoping someone can help me out here a little. I decided to start slowly by starting with changing my breakfast, I figured it'd be easier to start that way so I started consuming a serving of health optimizer with blended fruits and soaked nuts several times a week. Unfortunately, I have found it to be unfilling, and I end up having a second breakfast and this is where I cheat because when I become hungry, I have no self-control and I end up going to a vending machine at work and eating junk food. I have tried just eating fruit but it is either I get tired of grazing all day or fruits don't satisfy me as much as junk food. 

 

I am wondering if it has anything to do with my metabolism because I run a few miles in the morning and then I swim one hour after work plus I walk my dog for between 30 minutes to 1 hour after work. 

 

Any thought? Any suggestion? Anyone having the same problem? 

 

Amber

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Permalink Reply by Ian Logsdon on May 11, 2011 at 7:01am

Hi Amber,

 

One think I can definitely recommend is not doing a liquid breakfast. I tried it for months, and just like you I would cheat and have snacks to keep me going. I like to make a big batch of cereal/granola every week with a pretty basic framework:

 

Oven: 300 degrees F

 

Blend the following in a blender/food processor:

1 banana

2 tbsp of agave

2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon

nutmeg

1/4 cup of oil (I like hemp, balanced fatty acids and all)

 

Mix the liquid in a bowl with the following until it is all coated

3-4 cups of rolled oats

1 cup dried fruit

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 cups of nuts (I like to use like 3 different types in each batch)

 

Coat a pan with coconut oil and spread the mixture out, cook for about 20 minutes, mix, repeat until the texture is solid, granola like.

 

Eat with home made nut milk and tada, great filling breakfast!

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Permalink Reply by amber e marchut on May 11, 2011 at 12:41pm

Ian, thanks :) 

Ian Logsdon said:

Hi Amber,

 

One think I can definitely recommend is not doing a liquid breakfast. I tried it for months, and just like you I would cheat and have snacks to keep me going. I like to make a big batch of cereal/granola every week with a pretty basic framework:

 

Oven: 300 degrees F

 

Blend the following in a blender/food processor:

1 banana

2 tbsp of agave

2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon

nutmeg

1/4 cup of oil (I like hemp, balanced fatty acids and all)

 

Mix the liquid in a bowl with the following until it is all coated

3-4 cups of rolled oats

1 cup dried fruit

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 cups of nuts (I like to use like 3 different types in each batch)

 

Coat a pan with coconut oil and spread the mixture out, cook for about 20 minutes, mix, repeat until the texture is solid, granola like.

 

Eat with home made nut milk and tada, great filling breakfast!

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